Hydrangea plant named ‘Saxreb13’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hydrangea  plant named ‘Saxreb 13’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit; strong stems; and large mophead-type inflorescences with red purple-colored sterile flowers that are initially light green and red purple in color during early development.

Botanical designation: Hydrangea macrophylla.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SAXREB13’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant, botanically known as Hydrangea macrophylla and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Saxreb13’.

The new Hydrangea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new container-type Hydrangea plants with strong stems, early flowering response and attractive leaf, stem and flower coloration.

The new Hydrangea plant originated from a cross-pollination in 2006 of two unidentified proprietary selections of Hydrangea macrophylla, not patented. The new Hydrangea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 2008 as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by softwood cuttings in Dresden, Germany since June, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Hydrangea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Saxreb13’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Saxreb13’ as a new and distinct Hydrangea plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Strong stems.     -   4. Large mophead-type inflorescences with red purple-colored         sterile flowers that are initially light green and red purple in         color during early development.

Plants of the new Hydrangea differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in plant habit as plants of the new Hydrangea are more compact and uniform than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Hydrangea can be compared to plants of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bela’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,099. Plants of the new Hydrangea differ primarily from plants of ‘Bela’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the Hydrangea are not as vigorous as plants of         ‘Bela’.     -   2. Plants of the new Hydrangea are more freely branching than         plants of ‘Bela’.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Hydrangea are smaller and lighter         green in color than leaves of plants of ‘Bela’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the unique appearance of the new Hydrangea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Hydrangea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Saxreb13’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical fully developed inflorescences of ‘Saxreb13’ during the summer.

The photograph on the third sheet is a close-up view of a typical developing inflorescence of ‘Saxreb13’ during the spring.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and in the following description were grown during the spring and summer in 3-liter containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Dresden, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Hydrangea production. Plants of the new Hydrangea were three years old when the photographs and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 17° C. Plants used for the description and photographs were not treated with aluminum sulfate to “blue” the inflorescences. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical description: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Saxreb13’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection             of Hydrangea macrophylla, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection             of Hydrangea macrophylla, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at             temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 16 days at             temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 28 days             at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 31 days             at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial subshrub; upright and             mounded plant habit; broadly inverted triangle; freely             branching habit with about 18 lateral branches developing             per plant; strong lateral branches; moderately vigorous to             vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 36.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter or area of spread.—About 54.8 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 19.3 cm. Diameter: About             7 mm. Internode length: About 4.9 cm. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 45° from vertical.             Color, developing: Close to 143C; at the nodes, slightly             tinged with close to N186C. Color, developed: Close to 199B             to 199C. Lenticels: Density: Sparse. Length: About 2 mm.             Diameter: About 0.75 mm. Color: Close to N186C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 12.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 8.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate to oblong.         -   Apex.—Broadly apiculate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Glabrous; slightly             rugose.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Darker than between N137A             and 147A; venation, close to 144B. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close 137B to 137C; venation, close to 144B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 2.6 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper surface: Close to 144A. Color, lower surface: Close to             144A to 144B. -   Inflorescence & flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Showy single sterile and             inconspicuous single fertile flowers arranged on terminal             mophead-type panicles; panicles flattened globular in             overall shape; fertile flowers face mostly upright and             sterile flowers face upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering from late             spring to late summer in Germany.         -   Flower longevity, fertile flowers.—Flowers last about one             week on the plant; fertile flowers not persistent.         -   Flower longevity, sterile flowers.—Flowers last about six             weeks on the plant; sterile flowers persistent.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; about 45 fertile             flowers and about 500 sterile flowers per panicle.         -   Panicle height.—About 10.5 cm.         -   Panicle diameter.—About 16.9 cm.         -   Flower diameter, fertile flowers.—About 7 mm.         -   Flower depth (height), fertile flowers.—About 5 mm.         -   Flower diameter, sterile flowers.—About 3.2 cm.         -   Flower depth (height), sterile flowers.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Flower buds, fertile flowers.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 65C.         -   Flower buds, sterile flowers.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter:             About 5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 149D; towards the             apex, close to N57C.         -   Petals, fertile flowers only.—Quantity and arrangement: Five             in a single whorl. Length: About 2 mm. Width: About 1.75 mm.             Shape: Ovate, concave. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 65A; color does not change with development. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 65A to 65B; color             does not change with development.         -   Sepals, fertile flowers.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a             single whorl. Length: About 1 mm. Width: About 0.1 mm.             Shape: Deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145B             to 145C tinged with close to 62D. Fully opened, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 145B to 145C tinged with close to             62D; color does not change with development.         -   Sepals, sterile flowers.—Quantity and arrangement: Four in a             single whorl. Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 2 cm.             Shape: Broadly rhomboidal to broadly ovate. Apex: Bluntly             acute. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening,             upper surface: Proximally, close to 145B to 145D;             transitions distally, close to 58D to 58B; with development,             proximally, color becoming closer to NN155D. When opening,             lower surface: Proximally, close to 145C to 145D;             transitions distally, close to lighter than 61D to close to             61D. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to between 58B and             61C; color does not change with development. Fully opened,             lower surface: Close to 62A; color does not change with             development.         -   Pedicels, fertile flowers.—Angle: About 20° from vertical.             Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About 2 mm. Diameter:             About 0.75 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             62B.         -   Pedicels, sterile flowers.—Angle: About 40° from lateral             branch. Strength: Strong. Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter:             About 1 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 62A             to 62B.         -   Reproductive organs, fertile flowers.—Stamens: Quantity per             flower: About ten. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament             color: Close to 157D. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther             shape: Broadly reniform. Anther color: Close to 155A. Pollen             amount: None observed. Pistils: Pistil quantity per flower:             About two. Pistil length: About 1.75 mm. Stigma shape:             Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 155D. Style length:             About 0.75 mm. Style color: Close to 69A to 69B. Ovary             color: Close to 145C to 145D.         -   Reproductive organs, sterile flowers.—Stamens: Quantity per             flower: About eight. Filament length: About 1.5 mm. Filament             color: Close to 157D. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther             shape: Broadly reniform. Anther color: Close to 155A. Pollen             amount: None observed. Pistils: Pistil quantity per flower:             About two. Pistil length: About 1 mm. Stigma shape:             Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 161B. Style length:             About 0.5 mm. Style color: Close to 161D. Ovary color: Close             to 157D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Hydrangea. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hydrangea     plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have been shown     to be tolerant to temperatures in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hydrangea plant named ‘Saxreb13’ as illustrated and described. 